


We Don't Break Promises

by JinxedAmbitions



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Author Benny, Kid Fic, M/M, Single Parent Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 09:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4014907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxedAmbitions/pseuds/JinxedAmbitions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean takes his daughter to meet the author of her favorite children's book.  Things don't go so well when it turns out that Benny Lafitte has a massive fanbase among 2-6 year olds.  But Dean promised Emma she'd get to meet him, so Dean better think fast because they don't break promises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Don't Break Promises

Dean doesn’t understand how there can be this many people on line for a children’s book signing. He hadn’t realized that the author was alive or the book was popular when he picked it at random in the library a couple years ago. Since then, he’s had to buy two copies of it. His daughter is so in love with it, the first copy got covered in tears, teething marks, and even vomit when she got a stomach bug and demanded he read it to her. He’d gone out as soon as she was feeling better, and he bought her another copy.

Now, he’s standing in a seemingly endless line of parents and children waiting to get this book signed and hear it read by the author himself. They were late getting there because Mr. Floppers, Emma’s stuffed bunny, had been MIA all morning and she couldn’t go to the reading without him, because it’s his favorite book too.

"Daddy, I need to potty," Emma announces as she tugs at a hole already torn into his jeans. Dean freezes like a deer in headlights. He can see the bathroom all the way at the other side of the store. She’s too young to go on her own, especially in such a big place. However, the lady behind him gives him an unimpressed and downright condescending look when he turns to ask her to hold their spot. Dean glances out the store window to see the line winding down the sidewalk and sighs as he lifts Emma into his arms.

"Come on, munchkin. Let’s go potty. You still got Mr. Floppers?" he asks softly as he balances his daughter on his hip. Emma holds up her bunny proudly, and Dean smiles and takes it from her so they don’t accidentally lose him in the bathroom.

Of course, there’s a line for the bathrooms as well, because this many children in one place is a recipe for frenzied bathroom visits. Dean just asks Emma all about what she’s going to say to the author when she meets him, and he hopes the line moves fast enough that there isn’t a disaster.

When they get back toward the line, it doesn’t look any shorter than before, and Dean wishes he’d known it was going to be such a big event. He would’ve brought snacks for Emma and maybe a toy or two to distract her. Currently, she is in an in depth discussion with Mr. Floppers, but Dean doesn’t know how long that will last.

"Hey, baby girl, why don’t we get something to eat while we wait? He’s supposed to start reading soon," Dean suggests, and Emma happily agrees. They sit in the crowded cafe area sharing a piece of pie while the reading gets set up. When they announce Mr. Lafitte, Dean grabs Emma and hoists her up onto his shoulders, so she can see from where he finds a spot near the back of the crowd. Mr. Floppers sits on his head, and Dean can’t shake his smile.

Mr. Lafitte is not what Dean was expecting. He’s almost as tall as Dean, and he’s got arms as big as Emma’s head. He’s got a cap on and a neat beard, and his clothes are a bit of a throw back, suspenders and cream colored henley tucked into his trousers. Dean was expecting a smiling old man or a nerdy guy that wrote for kids because he never had a childhood of his own. This guy looks like he chops wood for the fun of it and like he might just have a whole slew of prison tattoos under his rolled up sleeves.

The guy leans on a stool with one leg propped up on it, and he holds up his his new book. “It’s so nice to see so many faces here today. I’m Benny, and I’m here to share a new story with you today,” Benny says into the microphone he’s been provided.

Dean feels himself involuntarily stand up a little straighter. The man has a smooth Cajun accent that could lead a nun to sin, and his voice is deep and something Dean would love to hear talk dirty to him in bed. He shakes him head of those thoughts. His daughter is on his shoulders after all, and the movement causes her stuffed bunny to fall into his hands. Emma doesn’t take her eyes off Benny as he introduces his new story. She just reaches down in front of Dean’s eyes and opens and closes her hand for Mr. Floppers. Dean hands the bunny back up and holds her ankles gently.

Emma tugs at his hair when the story gets going. Her excitement is palpable, and Dean has to admit that Benny is a wonderful storyteller. The combination of his voice and the way he gets into the story is enthralling. Dean hadn’t expected to enjoy the reading. He actually loathed Benny’s first book after reading it to Emma over a hundred times, but Dean could listen to Benny read this tale a hundred times and never tire of it.

There are cheers and a lot of applause when Benny finishes. Dean’s about to jump back on line before it gets too long again, but Benny’s words stop him. “I’m so happy y’all came out to see me today. I wish I could stay longer and get meet each and every one of you,” he said regretfully. Dean’s pissed because he sees the lady that was behind him holding a freshly signed copy of the new book, but for some reason he isn’t pissed at Benny just the whole event. The guy actually looks really sad when he’s ushered off the stage toward the back of the store.

"Daddy, when are we gonna meet Benny? Mr. Floppers wants to ask him about the bunny," Emma asks as Dean carries her toward the front door. Dean sighs. This is going to be a tantrum. He wishes that he could put her off until they’re in the privacy of their car, but his daughter isn’t dumb. She’ll call him on leaving before they make it to the lot.

"He had to go, munchkin. We’ll talk to him the next time he comes to town," Dean says, but he knows that no matter what he says, she’s going to cry.

"But-but, Daddy, we need to know! What if the bunny—"

"Emma, I wish we could meet him, but there were just too many other boys and girls, and he couldn’t meet everyone. I’m sorry, baby," Dean explains as he pulls her down into his arms and tries to cradle her like he always does when she’s upset, but she squirms in his arms.

"You promised! You said we never break promises!" Emma cries, and Dean feels his heart sink. When Emma’s mother died, Dean promised her he wasn’t going anywhere. He quit his job as a prison officer and took the classes to become a teacher instead, so he’d have more time to spend with Emma and he wouldn’t be in danger. He told her that he’d never break a promise to her, and he’s done his best not to ever since. He definitely didn’t expect to have that thrown in his face over something like a children’s story.

"I know I promised, Emmy, but I can’t control other people," Dean gives up trying to explain. Emma is bawling now, and people are looking at him like he’s trying to kidnap her. "Emma, you’ve got to calm down—oof" Dean’s cut off when Emma kicks him in the nuts with one of her flails. Dean’s usually excellent at deflecting her squirmy little feet, but he’s not expecting it. She slips easily from his arms and makes a break for it with Mr. Floppers in tow.

Dean curses as he tries to ignore the sharp pain in his groin and catch his daughter before she gets herself hurt. “Emma, come back here, munchkin. You’re gonna get yourself hurt,” Dean shouts as he chases her back toward the parking lot. Dean’s fairly certain he’s having a heart attack as he watches his tiny daughter whip through the lot without checking for vehicles.

"Mr. Benny, Mr. Benny," Emma cries, and Dean thinks he’s going to throw up when he sees the author scoop his daughter up into his arms.

"Hey there, baby girl," Benny says as he lifts Emma onto his hip and checks her for injuries. "What’re you doing running around without your mama or papa?" Benny asks gently.

Dean comes skidding to a halt in front of them, and he has to place his hands on his knees to catch his breath because he’s still in pain, and he thinks he just lost ten years of his life from the terror of watching his daughter run away from him in a busy lot.

"Mommy’s in heaven, and daddy broke a promise, and he says he’ll never break a promise," Emma exclaims, and Dean can feel himself blushing as he looks up at his daughter and the author.

"Well, I’m very sorry to hear that, baby girl, but if your papa had to break a promise, I’m certain it was for a good reason," Benny says as he bounces Emma on his hip just like Dean always does when he wants her full attention.

"But he promised I could meet you, and Mr. Floppers could ask you a question!" Emma says, and Benny looks at her very solemnly .

"And here you are, darling. Might I presume this is Mr. Floppers?" he asks as he looks down at the rabbit. Dean thinks this guy’s got to have a whole brood of kids at home from the way he handles Emma like a pro. He’s a bit jealous of Benny’s wife because he’d kill to have someone to help him raise Emma right.

"Yes! Mr. Floppers meet Mr. Benny," Emma introduces and holds out the rabbit’s fuzzy paw. Benny takes in between his thumb and index finger and nods at the rabbit.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Floppers. And, what may I call you princess?" Benny asks Emma.

"This is Emma," Dean answers for her when she just gets a big goofy smile on her face at being called princess. She’s got his goofy smile, and Dean can’t blame her for it because he’s wearing one too at how nice Benny’s being.

"Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you both, Emma. What’s this question that Mr. Floppers needs to ask?" Benny asks as he shifts Emma from one hip to the other easily. Emma launches into a whole drawn out ramble that only other kids can understand, but Benny nods and hums in all the right places, and Dean feels himself falling for the guy.

"Benny, you should get going," a woman in a smart looking business suit interrupts Emma’s ramblings.

"I’m so sorry. You’ve got to be really busy. Thanks for grabbing her. I think I had a heart attack back there," Dean says immediately as he reaches for his daughter. Benny hands her over gently and rests one of his big hands on Dean’s shoulder.

"It’s no trouble at all. Just a business appointment. I’d much rather be talking to my fans," Benny says as he runs his fingers over Emma’s blond head. "I don’t get to meet them often enough. Live to make kids smile, but I don’t get blessed with any of my own. Funny how that works," Benny says wistfully then steps away. "You have a beautiful daughter…"

"Dean."

"You’ve got a beautiful family, Dean. You’re a lucky man," Benny says as he gives the woman a thumbs up. "You be good for your papa, okay Emma? He’s tryin’ his hardest, so go easy on him, and tell Mr. Floppers that the bunny will be alright, no need to worry." With that, Benny turns to go to the battered truck that’s waiting for him.

"Hey, Benny. Um, shit…would you be interested in getting dinner while you’re still in town?" Dean asks. He really doesn’t know what’s come over him. Just because Benny doesn’t have kids doesn’t mean he’s interested, but Dean needs to know because no one has ever been that good with Emma before, and Dean knows he’ll be dreaming about that voice for weeks to come.

Benny looks at him square in the eye and smiles slowly. “I think I’d really enjoy that, Dean,” Benny says as he leans against the bed of his pick up.

"Really? Awesome. Um, I don’t really have a sitter for the weekends, but um I could cook," Dean says nervously. He’d be rubbing at his neck if he wasn’t holding his daughter tightly to his chest while she whispered to her stuffed bunny.

"That sounds like a wonderful evening," Benny agrees and he wanders back over and pulls the pen he used for the signing out of his pants. He plucks the book out of Dean’s hand and opens the cover to scrawl in it. "Text me the address, and I’ll be there," Benny says as he hands the book back and gives Emma one last pat to the back. "A pleasure meeting y’all," he says then he’s gone, and Dean’s standing there holding his daughter and a storybook with Benny’s number in it.

 


End file.
